Nose cap



E. ZEIDLER March 8, 1938.

NOSE CAP Original Filed Nov. 9, 1955 lnvembr- 172.93" Zez'a/fex 1427" arneiy.

Patented Mar. 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT 0FFlCE.

NOSE CAP Original application November 9, 1935, Serial No.

49,010.- 10,1937, Serial November 13, 1934 Divided and this application 'August 158,306. In Germany 5 Claims. 9 (01. -171) gagement with corresponding slots in the one This invention relates to means for detachably connecting a one-piece nose cap, protecting the hubs of airscrews, to the hub at several points simultaneously. a

The attachment andalso the dismounting of airscrew nose caps on and from the hub has hitherto usually been a matter taking up a good deal of time, since most of such nose caps consisted of a plurality of parts which had to be attached to the hub individually, by means of screws, bolts and the like. It has therefore been proposed to make the caps in one piece and arrange for the attachment to be as simple as possible. A conventional method of mounting, which was also the simplest, was by means of a clamping band or cord. This method had the great disadvantage that, in the event of the band being damaged only in one place, the band or cord dropped off and the cap was flung off the hub by the action of centrifugal force.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of conventional nose caps andto provide a one-piece nose cap capable of being detachably connected or locked to the hub at any convenient number of points, by a/ turn of the hand.

' To this end, according to the invention, a rotatable or expandible locking means is provided which carries all the fixing members jointly, and 'which is indirectly. or directly connected to the hub.

In the case of conventional nose caps having a plurality of parts, it is known to connect such parts together, at several points simultaneously, by locking devices. However, these conventional devices did not solve ,the problem contemplated by thepresent invention, to wit: the provision of an easily operated method of connection and release between a one-piece nose cap and the airscrew, or its hub.

The design of the detachable connection of the present invention may vary in point of detail pr y e h he o goin ndition ise ulfi le For-example, it may be established by me fa rotatable'ring, engaging by means cr -slots, with corresponding on the cap, or converselmby meansof pins engaging in slots in the cap and thus'eiiabling th lo king to be vefiecte'd at any lated lever-11 c jointl and controlled by a push b a" manner that said "bolts can bebroiightinto' en piece cap.

A special advantage is obtained by combining with the locking arrangement, safety devices for securing same and coming into operation at the same time as the former.

In order more clearly .to understand the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates diagrammatically and by way of example, several embodiments thereof.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevational view, some- -what fragmentary'and having parts cut away,

of an exemplary embodiment of the invention in which a nose capis provided with a plurality of pins engaging slots in a rotatable ring;

Fig. 2 depicts a vertical sectional view, also fragmentary, taken on line 2--Z of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows' a longitudinal and fragmentary sectional view of a modifiedembodiment of the invention in which a. plurality of slots is provided in the nose cap, and a rotatable ring carrying a pin for each of said slots cooperates with said nose cap;

. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 illustrates a front elevational view, somewhat fragmentary and having parts in section, of another embodiment of the invention including a pivoted bolt lever engaging through corresponding openings in the nose. cap and controlled by a rotatable ring;

' Fig. 6 depicts a vertical sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig, 7 shows a front elevational view somewhat fragmentary and having parts'in section, of a further embodiment of the invention embodying rand- 2.1

a plate I, the rim of which is bent, rounduatiiain angle at I, in the direction of theengineis, '1

The one-piece nose cap 5, which is suitably cut away for the passage of the airscrew blades, bears, by means of its inwardly turned rim 6, on the plate ,I, secured to the hub 3 on the side remote from the ring 4. The nose cap 5 is centered by means of a ring I, surrolmding (for example, riveted on) the annular flange I', and the cap is supported by means of a plate 5' mounted on the inside-of the cap 5 and adapted to slip over the outer end of the hub 3. "Ihe rim 6 of the nose cap carries pins 8 which are provided with annular grooves and 'coact with the holes 9 in the ring 4 and plate I. A lug II, on the ring, and serving as a handle for rotatively displacing the ring 4, protrudes through corresponding slots in the annular flange I and ring I.

In assembling the cap 5, the pins 8 attached thereto penetrate through the holes 9 in the plate I and ring 4, said holes being at first in alignment. Rotatively displacing the ring 4 by means of the lug II is all that is now needed-to bring the lateral slots I0 into engagement with the grooves in the pins 8, and thus lock the cap 5 at any convenient number of points, in accordance with the number of pins 8 and openings 9, III provided. To release the nose cap 5, the ring 4 is turned in theopposite direction until the pins 9 come out of the slots I0, and the holes 9 in the ring 4 are again inalignment with the corresponding holes in the plate I, whereupon the nose cap can be dismounted without any further manipulation.

In the modified embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the outer ring I2 which centers the nose cap It on. the annular flange of the plate I3 attached to the hub, is adapted to be rotatively displaced by means of the handle I2, and is provided with the locking pins I4 which are passed first be pushed inwards, before inwards through longitudinal holes IS in the annular flange of the'plate I3. The length of the holes I5 determines the extent to which the ring I2 can be rotated. I The cap I6 is provided with bayonet-catch'slots II on the rim adapted to be inserted between I! and I. In addition, the annular flange of the plate I3 carries a pin I3 on which flts the slots I6 in the nose cap. As is evident, from Fig. 4, from which the outer ring I 2 is omitted, all that is necessary, after the cap I6 has been slipped into place, is to turn the ring I2 so that its pin I 4 enters the bayonet-catch slot I1, and thereby lock the nosecap at any convenient number of points.

Figs. 3 and 4 also show a safety catch which comes into operation at the same time as the locking device. Secured (for example, riveted) on. the annular flange of the plate I3, at I9, is a flat spring I 3 carrying a stud 29. Directlythe ring I! has arrived in the locking position, said stud 20 springs through the annular flange of the 4 plate I3 into a hole in the ring I! and thus prevents the latter from accidental reversion. In order to release the cap II, the catch stud 23 must the'ring I! can be turned back. w

According to Figs, 5 and 6, the plate 2|, is attached to the hub and. over the marginal flange of which the cap 31 is slipped, is provided withrotatably mounted or pivoted levers or bolts 22, the onearm of which is engaged by pins 23, seated on the ring-24, which is adaptedto be rotated by means of the handle 24', said pins enabling the other arm to enter at 3! corresponding slots '39 in the cap 31, directly the ring 34 is rotatably displaced in'the one direction I ofthehandle 3.4.

represent the pivoted lever or bolt 32 in the released position,

IntheexampleshowninFlga'IandLt-hc locking of the cap 34 with the plate 23 attached to the hub is effected by means of radially displaceable bolts or push bars 29 which engage, by means of pins 33, in oblique slots 3| in the ring 32 rotatively displaceable by the handle 33', and are guided by fillets 23 attached to the plate 33. When the ring 32 is suitably rotated, the ends 33 'of the bars 29 enter openings in the cap 34 and lock the latter as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. For the release, the ring 32 is turned' the other way, the bars 29 being so controlled by the oblique slots 3| that their ends 33 release the cap 34.

In the example according to Fig. 9, lever mechanism is provided for locking the cap 4l.- This mechanism comprises the levers 35 which, at the ends provided with the locking noses 36-!or example, on the plate (not shown) attached to the hub of the airscreware rotatably mounted, the other end being provided with slots 31. Levers 35 are pivoted in pins 4I'. Slots 31 are engaged by pins 38 seated on the bar 39 which is adapted to be moved in the longitudinal direction byhand. On said bar being moved in the direction of the arrow, the levers 35 are turned through the agency of the pin-and-slot guides 31, 33, so as to bring their locking noses out of engagement with the nosecap 48.

The present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 49,010, flled on November 9th, 1935, now Patent No. 2,092,901, granted on September 14, 1937, and entitled ,Nose cap I I Q I I claim:

1. In an aircraft propeller, the .comhinaflm comprising an airscrew, a hub asoclated with said airscrew, a one-piece nose cap covering said hub, a supporting member rigidly connected to said hub having a supporting surface conforming to the terminal surface .of said nose cap, a plurality of slots in said terminal surface, fixing means including displaoeable bolts associated with said supporting member adapted to selectively engage said-slots in the nose cap, and manually operable elements adapted to simultaneously displace said bolts from an inoperative into an operative position.

2. In an aircraft propeller, the combination comprising an airscrew, a hub associated with said airscrew, a one-piece nose cap covering said hub, a supporting member rigidly connected to said hub having a supporting surface conforming to the terminal surface of said nose cap, a pinrality of'slots in said terminal surflce, fixing means including displaceable bolts associated with said supporting member adapted toselectively engage said slots in the nose cap, and means including a manually operable ring-like locking member adapted to simultaneously displace said bolts from an inoperative into an openflveposi tion.

3. In an aircraft propeller, the. mllnatlon comprising an airscrew, a hub amounted with said airscrew, a one-piece nose cap covering said hub, a supporting member rigidly fastened to'aaid hub having a supporting surface conforming to theterminalsurfaceofsaidnosecanaplm'ality ofradiallydisplaceablebdtsamociatcdwithsnid supporting surface, a slot in said nosecap for each of said bolts, and a rotatable ring-like member adapted to collectively displace said bolts from an inoperative into an operative position to engage'saidslotsandtohddsaidnmecan.

2,1 1o,ss7 4. In an aircraft propeller, the combination comprising an airscrew, a hub associated with said airscrew, a one-piece nose capx'covering said hub, a supporting member rigidly fastened to said hub and having asu'pporting surface conforming to thetern'iinal surface of said nose cap, a plurality of pivoted bolts associated with said supporting surface,'a slot in the terminal portion of said nose cap for each of said bolts, and-a manually operative ring-like member co-op'erating with said bolts and capable of simultaneously turning said bolts around said pivots to engage said slots and to hold said nose cap.

5. In an aircraft propeller, the combination L comprising an airscrew, a 'hub associated with said airscrew, a? one-piece nose cap covering .said' hub, a supporting member rigidly fastened to said hub and having a supporting surface conforming to the terminal portion of said nose cap, a plurality of slots in the terminal portion of said nose cap, a pivoted lever bolt for each of said gagesaid slots and to retain said nose cap.

ERNs'r 'ZEIDLER. 

